


In the Enchanted Garden

by paynesgrey



Category: Hana Yori Dango | Boys Over Flowers (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/M, Ficlet, Prequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-01-12
Updated: 2006-01-12
Packaged: 2020-09-30 18:34:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20451692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paynesgrey/pseuds/paynesgrey
Summary: Shizuka had never seen Rui smile, but she was the only one that could make it happen.





	In the Enchanted Garden

Shy little Rui thought that Shizuka’s garden was enchanted. When he went there, he felt subdued and relaxed, that the burdens in his life would start to melt away.

But it wasn’t just the things inside the garden that he felt were enchanted. Without Shizuka, the garden had no magic. She was the light of all of it, and whenever they went there to play, he would step into a dark, austere garden only to have it shine brilliantly as Shizuka entered it.

She was the garden’s only faerie, and everything that dwelled there was a part of her kingdom: even Rui himself. And then the dark garden with shady trees would illuminate just with her laughter and smiles.

She would always take his hand, leading him slowly at his own pace into it.

“Come on, Rui,” she giggled. Her laugh always seemed so pure and without any flaws. “Don’t be scared; come play with me!”

As she beamed at him with eyes that beckoned, his legs moved slowly, but he could still not smile with her. At first he was in awe of Shizuka, and the way that she moved around him and had included him within her presence made all his barriers slip away. No one could ever do that for him, and it was a terribly new and scary feeling for him. He couldn’t remember if he ever smiled before.

He could only open his mouth, attempting to talk but still not finding the words. It was still very hard. But Shizuka didn’t mind his silence, and she still held onto his hand, pulling him around as she danced. Rui would sometimes watch the way her dress fluttered with her movements. Then she began to hum, her eyes watching fireflies, as they seemed to hover around her. Their light shined on her face in pretty yellow mottled shapes. Rui gasped, and Shizuka turned to him in surprise at his reaction. She watched as a firefly came over to him and landed on his nose.

Rui sniffed, and then when the stubborn firefly refused to move, Shizuka giggled.

And without thinking about anything, Rui got caught up in the enchanted moment, and a small, unbridled smile erupted on his face.

Shizuka gasped, her own smile growing larger and her eyes widening in surprise. Rui looked at her in confusion.

“Rui! You’re smiling!” It had been the first time since she had ever seen him smile, so she celebrated, coming over to him and hugging him. He blushed, and the firefly had long disappeared.

And as Shizuka’s warmth blanketed him, Rui’s smile didn’t dare fade away.

END


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